We all know how difficult it can be navigating the online world, especially for the more vulnerable in our communities. The increased threat of being scammed can prevent many people from using technology, even for the most straightforward tasks. This worry can be particularly great for the older generation, which is why WCIT Senior Warden Paul Finch wanted to establish a new digital support organisation for his local community in Suffolk.
A grant from the WCIT Charity allowed Community Tech Hub to expand two important initiatives: its weekly drop-in sessions at a delicatessen in Grundisburgh, and the purchase of AV equipment to record and publish workshop content. Both have played a key role in increasing visibility and engagement of the organisation, which has made significant progress in establishing a trusted ecosystem of education, guidance, and hands-on support.
The quarterly workshops on online safety are professionally filmed and uploaded to a members-only area of the website, allowing individuals to catch up at their own pace, while classroom-style training is given on specific topics. Community Tech Hub also hosts an expanding library of resources on its website, as well as tech support sessions that include both in-home assistance and a fortnightly ‘tech surgery’. It has even introduced a ‘device MOT’ service.
As a membership club, it offers a safe and supportive space for ongoing help, and subsidies are provided for those who need them the most. For a new organisation it certainly hit the ground running: from December 2024 to November 2025, the project supported 45 drop-in sessions and delivered around 170 hours of direct assistance to more than 100 residents who were struggling with everything from photo management and Bluetooth connectivity to email security concerns and account recovery.
What did become apparent to Paul and his team though, is that most challenges stemmed not from hacking, but from a lack of confidence, so personal one-to-one support delivered by trusted individuals remains the most effective approach for keeping people safe.
